Dentist Could Face Charges

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — The head of Oklahoma's dental board says her office wants prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against a Tulsa oral surgeon at the center of a health scare.

Susan Rogers told The Associated Press that she met with Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris on Monday to discuss whether Dr. W. Scott Harrington is criminally liable. The complaint filed last week called Harrington a "menace to the public health."

Inspectors said they found unsafe practices at Harrington's Tulsa-area clinics and letters were sent to 7,000 patients, urging them to be screened for hepatitis and the virus that causes AIDS.

Court records also show that Harrington has been sued for medical malpractice and negligence. He was also named in a paternity suit in 1997. Many cases were settled out of court.